AERIAL LAUNCH AND/OR RECOVERY FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20170225784A1
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: McGrew, James Statelar, Goodrich, Wayne David, Hayes, Andrew Royds, Knapp, Jeffrey Hugh, Guthrie, Charles Lawrence, Schrick, Bradley Louis, Davidson, Darcy Lynn, Kunz, Peter Josef, Rysdyk, Rolf Theodoor
• Granted Patent: US 10,933,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/50 Anchoring arrangements or methods for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling platforms or dredgers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/026 for use as personal propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 5/00 Aircraft transported by aircraft, e.g. for release or reberthing during flight flying units formed by separate aircraft B64C37/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/00 Means for producing lift; Empennages; Arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/35 by wireless transmission, e.g. by induction
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/20 for releasing or capturing UAVs in flight by another aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net

Abstract

Aerial launch and/or recovery for unmanned aircraft, and associated systems and methods. A representative method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system includes directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft to carry a second, carried aircraft aloft, and release the second aircraft for flight, while powering the first aircraft with an on-board battery. The method can further include directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of the second aircraft to capture the second aircraft.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:

a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft having;

an airframe;

a plurality of rotors carried by the airframe, the plurality of rotors being positioned to support the carrier aircraft in hover; and

a battery carried by the airframe and operatively coupled to the rotors to power the rotors;

a launch fixture carried by the carrier aircraft and positioned to releasably attach to a second, carried aircraft, the carried aircraft having a capture device; and

a capture line carried by the carrier aircraft and deployable to hang from the carrier aircraft, the capture line being sized to releasably engage with the capture device of the carried aircraft.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the launch fixture includes a release mechanism and a downwardly-sloped slot positioned to launch the carried aircraft in a downward direction relative to the airframe.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the launch fixture includes a pivoting portion positioned to be engaged with the carried aircraft, and a plunger portion movable relative to the airframe and positioned to pivot the carried aircraft relative to the airframe.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising the carried aircraft, and wherein the carried aircraft is releasably attached to the carrier aircraft.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the carried aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the carrier aircraft is a quad-rotor aircraft.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the airframe includes a central portion and four arms extending outwardly from the central portion;

the plurality of rotors includes four pairs of counter-rotating rotors, with individual pairs carried by corresponding individual arms; and

the launch fixture includes a downwardly extending slot positioned to direct the carried aircraft in a nose-down attitude during launch.

8. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the method comprising:

directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft to carry a second, carried aircraft aloft, and release the second aircraft for flight, while powering the first aircraft with an on-board battery; and

directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of the second aircraft to capture the second aircraft.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising directing the second aircraft into engagement with the capture line carried by the first aircraft.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the second aircraft has a fixed wing configuration.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein positioning the capture line includes positioning the capture line with an unsecured free end.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein positioning the capture line includes positioning the capture line with a portion of the capture line secured to the ground.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising directing the first aircraft to land after directing the first aircraft to release the second aircraft and before directing the first aircraft for position the capture line.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises recharging the battery after directing the first aircraft to land and before directing the first aircraft to position the capture line.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein directing the first aircraft to carry the second aircraft includes directing the first aircraft to ascend between multiple obstacles.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein directing the directing the first aircraft to carry the second aircraft includes directing the first aircraft to ascend between multiple obstacles.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein the second aircraft is released in a nose-down attitude while the first aircraft is in forward flight.

18. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:

a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft having;

an airframe;

a plurality of rotors carried by the airframe, the plurality of rotors being positioned to support the carrier aircraft in hover; and

a power receiver carried by the airframe and operatively coupled to the rotors to power the rotors, the power receiver being positioned to receive power from off-board the carrier aircraft while the carrier aircraft is in flight;

a launch fixture carried by the carrier aircraft and positioned to releasably attach to a second, carried aircraft, the carried aircraft having a capture device; and

a capture line carried by the carrier aircraft and deployable to hang from the carrier aircraft, the capture line being sized to releasably engage with the capture device of the carried aircraft.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the power receiver includes a connector coupleable to a power cable that is in turn coupleable to a ground-based source of electrical power.

20. The system of claims 18 wherein the power receiver is a wireless power receiver.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the wireless power receiver includes at least one photovoltaic cell positioned to receive radiation from a ground-based radiation source.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the capture line is deployable to hang from the carrier aircraft, with a free end of the capture line airborne.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a weight coupled to, and deployable with, the capture line.

24. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the method comprising:

directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft to carry a second, carried aircraft aloft, and release the second aircraft for flight while powering the first aircraft with an off-board power source; and

directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of the second aircraft to capture the second aircraft.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the off-board power source includes an electrical power source coupled to the first aircraft with an electrical cable.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the off-board power source transmits power to the first aircraft via a wireless link.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the off-board power source transmits electromagnetic radiation to the first aircraft.

28. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:

a first multi-rotor support aircraft having;

a first airframe;

a first plurality of rotors carried by the first airframe, the first plurality of rotors being positioned to support the first multi-rotor support aircraft in hover;

a second multi-rotor support aircraft having;

a second airframe;

a second plurality of rotors carried by the second airframe, the second plurality of rotors being positioned to support the second multi-rotor support aircraft in hover;

a capture device carried by at least one of the first and second multi-rotor support aircraft and deployable to releasably engage with a target aircraft; and

wherein the first and second support aircraft are operably coupled to each other via at least one of the capture device or a power transmission link.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein at least one of the first and second support aircraft includes a launch fixture positioned to releasably attach to the target aircraft and support the target aircraft in a launch orientation.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the capture device includes a capture line connected between the first and second support aircraft.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein at least one of the first and second support aircraft is programmed with instructions to carry the capture line in a generally vertical orientation between the first and second support aircraft.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein at least one of the first and second support aircraft is programmed with instructions to carry the capture line in a generally horizontal orientation between the first and second support aircraft.

33. The system of claim 28 wherein the capture device includes a capture net connected between the first and second support aircraft.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

a third multi-rotor support aircraft connected to the capture net and having;

a third airframe; and

a third plurality of rotors carried by the third airframe, the third plurality of rotors being positioned to support the third multi-rotor support aircraft in hover; and

a fourth multi-rotor support aircraft connected to the capture net and having;

a fourth airframe; and

a fourth plurality of rotors carried by the fourth airframe, the fourth plurality of rotors being positioned to support the fourth multi-rotor support aircraft in hover.

35. The system of claim 28 wherein at least one of the first and second support aircraft is programmed with instructions to position itself autonomously relative to the other of the first and second support aircraft.

36. The system of claim 28 wherein the first support aircraft carries the capture device and the second support aircraft carries the power transmission link.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the power transmission link includes an electrical power cable connected between the first aircraft and a ground-based power source.

38. The system of claim 28 wherein the first and second multi-rotor aircraft have identical configurations.

39. The system of claim 28 wherein the first and second multi-rotor aircraft have different configurations.

40. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the method comprising:

coupling a first multi-rotor support aircraft and a second multi-rotor support aircraft via at least one of a capture device or a power transmission link;

directing the first and second support aircraft aloft; and

directing at least one of the first and second support aircraft to position the capture device to releasably engage with a target aircraft.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein coupling includes coupling via a power transmission link.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the power transmission link includes an electrical cable.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein coupling includes coupling via a capture device.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the capture device includes a capture line, and wherein the first and second support aircraft are vertically spaced apart when the capture device is positioned to releasably engage with the target aircraft.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the capture device includes a capture line, and wherein the first and second support aircraft are horizontally spaced apart when the capture device is positioned to releasably engage with the target aircraft.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein the capture device includes a net.

47. The method of claim 40 wherein the first support aircraft carries the capture device, and wherein the second support aircraft carries the power transmission link, with the power transmission link connected between the first and second aircraft.

48. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:

a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft having;

an airframe;

a plurality of rotors carried by the airframe, the plurality of rotors being positioned to support the carrier aircraft in hover; and

a battery carried by the airframe and operatively coupled to the rotors to power the rotors;

a capture line carried by the carrier aircraft and deployable to hang from the carrier aircraft, the capture line being sized to releasably engage with a capture device of a second aircraft; and

an immersible anchor attached to the capture line.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein the immersible anchor includes a weight.

50. The system of claim 48 wherein the immersible anchor includes a sea anchor.

51. The system of claim 48, further comprising a launch fixture carried by the carrier aircraft and positioned to releasably attach to the second aircraft.

52. A method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the method comprising:

directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft aloft; and

directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of a second aircraft to capture the second aircraft, while motion of the capture line is at least restricted by an immersible anchor.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the first aircraft is tethered to a water-borne vessel while aloft and while positioning the capture line.

54. The method of claim 52 wherein the first aircraft is not tethered to a water-borne vessel while the second aircraft is directed into engagement with the capture line.

55. The method of claim 52, further comprising directing the second aircraft into engagement with the capture line.

56. The method of claim 52, further comprising directing the first aircraft to carry the second aircraft and the immersible anchor to a water-borne vessel.